Accompanied by the melodious background music, the film's credits began to roll on the big screen. Normally, at this point, many audience members would get up and leave. Moreover, it was now past 10 o'clock in the evening, and with a runtime of nearly two hours, for most people, it was time to head home and rest.
However, tonight, most of the audience in the theater remained seated, enthusiastically discussing the plot with those around them.
These people were undoubtedly fueled by their love for the film, and so was Dwayne.
Initially, he had come to watch the film for Nicolas Cage and the film's genre.
A thrilling crime story within the realm of gangsters was highly enticing to him.
"Gangs of New York", "The Godfather" series, "Goodfellas", "Pulp Fiction", "Scarface", "Casino"... Dwayne was well-versed in the history of gangster-themed films.
He even wondered how the collision between Lyman and Nicolas Cage would spark, following in the footsteps of directors like Martin Scorsese.
He was quite excited, hoping that films of this genre would become mainstream.
He had read many articles online about "Miscreant" from Cannes, all filled with praise. These glowing reviews further fueled his desire to watch the film.
So, he didn't spend the evening with his girlfriend. Instead, he brought her to the cinema.
They had waited in line for a long time, and the wait was quite torturous.
They finally entered the theater, and while their seats weren't the best, they were in the third-to-last row, slightly towards the center.
His anticipation was still high, but upon arriving at the scene, he heard the audience around him discussing "What exactly is Tom Cruise like."
This annoyed him a bit.
He enjoyed looking at the cast and crew list, and that's how he recognized Lyman's name, even though this was only the second film of his that he watched. The first was "Fury", in which Nicolas Cage starred.
But who was Tom Cruise? He was famous for being reliant on his looks. Regardless of how others praised him, Dwayne's impression of him wasn't that good.
He always preferred method actors like Nicolas, which was why he decided to learn about this film.
Fortunately, he didn't leave, and Dwayne felt a pleasant surprise.
The same went for his girlfriend, Mariah.
She had been dragged along and wasn't a fan of anyone in particular or fond of this genre. But after watching the film, she was thinking about watching it again because she hadn't understood many of the plot details.
As for the discussions around them, opinions varied widely.
Some praised Tom's acting; some believed the undercover agent's wife shouldn't have died; some were defending the Los Angeles police, saying their lack of trust in Tom was because he had never truly come into their sight, so trust was out of the question. There were also those who approved of Heath's wild methods and regretted that he hadn't eliminated the high-ranking police officials and the second-in-command, as then he would have been able to take control of the "Golden Gate Group"...
It wasn't until all the credits had rolled and the film officially concluded that the audience finally stood up, leaving the theater. Among the dispersing crowd, "amazing" and "impressive" were frequently uttered, which also resonated with Dwayne's feelings after watching the entire film.
To be honest, the conflicts between the two factions didn't affect him much, because they were enemies, and any means they employed seemed reasonable to him. What touched him most was the moment when Nic's character spoke to Tom's character before dying in the hospital, and Tom's actions seeking liberation from his constrained life and identity at the end.
One story is about brotherhood, the other about breaking free from destiny.
Without preaching grand philosophies, without artificially stirring emotions, the core of the story didn't intend to convey something right or wrong, yet Dwayne found it very realistic.
The life of an undercover agent, going against one's beliefs, was portrayed cruelly by the director.
His transformation was built upon the police's distrust, brotherhood, a bit of loyalty, and mixed with a touch of love.
This wasn't a heartwarming story. From beginning to end, it was a trial of human nature, a tragedy.
It was brutally real, so real it hurt.
"He's really pitiable." This became the focal point of many discussions. He became the head of the gang, but he wasn't happy, for he was forever living in darkness.
"I want to watch it again, Dwayne. Will you accompany me?" Mariah spoke up.
"Of course." Dwayne shrugged. "In fact, I had this plan all along. Initially, I came to support Nicky, but Tom Cruise also did a good job."
"The final transition was so cool."
"The director is really skilled..."
As the voices in the cinema gradually faded, the two figures strolled out of the aisle.
Cletus glanced carefully at Brad Pitt. Wearing sunglasses and a cap, it was difficult to discern his expression, but as his agent, Cletus knew his client's mood might not be great.
As a professional in the film industry, he could tell that "Miscreant" was excellent and that the film had a good chance of becoming a hit.
And if it did become a hit...
He shook his head slightly. Ever since they missed the chance due to the high asking price for "Fury", despite not caring at first, Cletus had begun to regret it.
After all, Brad's star power was undeniable, and he wasn't lacking in acting opportunities.
But then, after "Fury" performed well at the box office and even managed to outperform the established series "007" in the competition, Cletus started feeling some regret.
It was likely that Brad also regretted it, otherwise he wouldn't have been so focused on Lyman's new work and even made a special trip to the cinema after attending an event, just to check the situation.
The result...
"It's still the first day. Fans and audiences on the first day don't represent much." Finally, on the drive, Cletus spoke these words with a clear conscience.
He knew that Brad wanted to see director Lyman fail, hoping the film's performance would be terrible.
Unfortunately, he had never gotten his wish.
As for why? Did one need a reason to dislike someone?
If they needed a reason, was rejecting his terms and instead inviting Nicolas, which led to some media mockery, a sign of poor taste?
When "Fury" was released, they subtly directed the publicity towards him, increasing the buzz. This was when MGM was spreading negative information, but Brad believed it was Lyman's idea.
"After the first day's box office results for "Miscreant" are out, let me know." The car entered Brad's mansion. Leaving behind these words, he got out of the car and walked inside.
"Ah..." Cletus sighed.
So, where was Lyman now?